From Sea to Shining Sea
by Equinoxes
Summary: Percy Jackson was just a small boy when he met Annabeth on the rocky coasts of his town. The fit into each other like two conjoining puzzle pieces and over time, they became friends. When Percy turned 18, Annabeth mysteriously disappears. Desperate to find her, Percy launches a quest to find Annabeth and embarks on an adventure of a lifetime. AU, OOC.
1. In a Town By the Sea

**Disclaimer: Only in my dreams would I ever own Percy Jackson. **

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><p><em>December 12th, 1869<em>

_Rødbyhavn, Denmark. _

Once upon a time, in a town by the sea, there lived a little boy named Percy Jackson. He was a charming creature, with raven-black hair coupled with sea-green eyes. He had the personality like one would expect from a child like him – a carefree attitude and a bit of a rebellious streak.

Indeed, the boy would go off in places that his parents forbade him to go. When Percy's parents were sleeping in their little house, he would quietly go outside and onto the beach where the harbor was located. There was a stretch of sand there and he would go explore along the rocky coastline.

He was careful not to go into deep; many a man has drowned in the stormy-grey waters when they wandered off too far.

That was not the only reason why Percy didn't go, however. His father told him tales of creatures of the deep, krakens that can tear a ship in half and leviathans as big as the whole country. There were also the singing sirens that could lure a sailor into their gory nest and the mermaids who would drag the sailors to their deaths.

Percy was terrified at these tales, but he was also fascinated by them. He wanted to see these creatures for himself. Now that would make an adventure of a lifetime.

He had a special place on the beach, a place where nobody but him knew about. It was a cave a little less than a mile from his house situated on a jut of rock out looking the sea. It was quite far from his house and it was journey for such a small boy but Percy didn't mind. He was determined to not be daunted by anything.

Percy liked it out there, far from civilization. He liked the time by himself. It was just the sea, the sky, and him. He felt at peace in his secret place and could be entertained for hours just looking at the waves crashing onto shore.

One day, a girl was there. Percy didn't know her or where she came from; she looked around his age. He was a annoyed that someone found out but kept a calm expression. She was a lady and he was gentleman. Gentlemen shouldn't get angry at ladies.

"Excuse me miss," Percy tentatively asked. He didn't want to frighten her. "Who are you?"

The girl didn't seem the least bit fettered that a stranger just asked who she was. Instead, she straightened her back and looked him directly in the eye. She was wearing a plain white dress and was barefoot despite the bitter cold. "I could say the same to you. But if you insist, then my name is Annabeth."

"Annabeth, is it? Then good morning Miss Annabeth, my name is Percy Jackson. Why are you here? It's terribly cold out here and the way that you are dressed is in no way acceptable."

Annabeth flipped her blonde hair. "I could say the same to you Percy. You are a child and children shouldn't be going off this early in the morning."

Percy felt blood rise to his cheeks. "But you look like the same age as me! You shouldn't be out here either."

"I am merely here for a quick rest," Annabeth said. "If you insist on me leaving then I will."

"Wait! Would you like for me to accompany you to your house? A lady shouldn't go off on her own, at least that what father told me. It is my duty as a gentleman to escort you to your home safely."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Really now? I appreciated the effort but my home is very far away, farther than you could ever imagine."

"No journey is too far for me!" Percy puffed up his chest. "It can't be that far. You made it to here didn't you?"

"You don't understand," Annabeth said. "Where I live, the people are particularly… wary of outsiders. Besides, it's impossible to find. You couldn't find it even if you searched high and low for it."

The boy smirked. "I will one day. I'll show you right now."

"I'd like to see you try however I have to go home. My mother dislikes it when I'm not home. She's very protective of me and doesn't like me to interact with inferior beings."

"…Inferior beings?"

Annabeth's calm expression suddenly turned into one of panic. "Ah, I've said too much! Goodbye Percy, I enjoyed this conversation. It's very rare that I could have one like this one."

"Will you be here tomorrow?" Percy hopefully asked. "I enjoyed this too."

"Maybe, if chance permits me. Now I have to go, goodbye again!" She took off in the opposite direction where Percy was facing and soon, she faded off into the distance.

…

The next day, Annabeth returned to the same spot much to Percy's excitement. They began their chat again with Percy asking where her home was. Annabeth would always answer vaguely saying that it was "far away in a place where you couldn't travel."

Despite this, their friendship continued to grow and prosper. But with each passing year, their meetings would be less frequent and shorter with Annabeth telling Percy that her responsibilities and restrictions were starting to increase.

On Percy's eighteenth birthday, Annabeth ceased their meetings. This naturally worried him fearing that something bad happened to her.

Doing what anyone would do when their childhood friend suddenly disappeared, he embarked on a ship named _The Argo _named after the famous Greek ship, gathered a small, but experienced crew, and set off onto the ocean blue.

On April 2nd, 1890, _The Argo _embarked on her first maiden voyage with Percy Jackson as her captain. And this is where Percy's adventure begins.

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><p><strong>Oh what am I doing working on another story when I have another one I should be working on? <strong>**Anyway, unlike the rest of my stories, I actually ****_planned_**** this one out so I actually have some idea of where I'm going with this. **

**Hope this was interesting enough since it's based off a certain fairy tale of Hans Christian Anderson who's one of my favourite authors. Hope you guys enjoy this story!**

**[Edited: December 30, 2014. Shorter than the pre-edited version, but better in my opinion] **


	2. A Potpourri of Personalities

**Welp, this chapter took longer than expected. **

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. Special thanks to AncientTide for being my first reviewer. Let's get on with the chapter shall we? **

**Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own the rights to PJO.**

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><p><em>Mother, why must you do this to me? I have done nothing wrong!<em>

_You interfered when you weren't supposed to. You have disobeyed your orders and this is your punishment. _

_But…! _

_No buts young lady. Go to your room and clean up. A person of your caliber shouldn't look like this. As long as you live under my house, you will never see the surface again._

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><p><em>June 15th, 1869.<em>

_London, England._

The ocean was unusually calm today. The sky was a clear blue with no clouds in sight. The sea was flat and translucent so that people can see the marine life swim underneath. This was a welcomed change considering how northern European waters tend to act like - which was to say, stormy with a grey atmosphere.

All way quiet out on the ocean blue. _The Argo _has finally exited out of the Baltic Sea and was on course of heading to England after half-a-year or so at sea. They went to _Rusland _first, but Percy soon crossed that country off when he realized most of it was a frozen wasteland.

Then he went towards the Kingdom of Sweden and Norway; his did not spend much time there due to the bloody history that Denmark and Sweden had. He stuck to the coast and searched every centimeter of rock and sand. Sadly, Percy had no such luck.

By the end of April, _The Argo _finally exited the Baltic Sea and the crew was currently in England where they would resupply and head towards the Mediterranean.

However, by this point the crew was getting more and more frustrated. They all had different agendas for going; most joined for the money, some for the adventure, and some for freedom. They were all different ages, of varying nationalities, and physical appearances.

A majority of them came from the British Empire (more specifically, England), who currently rules the seas under Queen Victoria. The highest in rank and the most well-known of them was Jason Grace who held the title of Sailing Master. A handsome man with sharp blue eyes, he was charming with his accent and far from useless with his knowledge of maps and directions.

Likewise, where there is an Englishman there will be a Frenchman on board too. Peter Martin, the Quarter Master, has an incredible eye to detail and nothing escapes his sight. He maintained order and kept things organized and neat. He had rather feminine features and a shrill voice.

Then there's Chris La Rue, the other Frenchman who has a knack for weaponry. His family descended from a long line of soldiers, more specifically, the artillery men. He knew how to fire and use every weapon imaginable. Chris's temper, however, was just as explosive as the things that he worked with.

If you wanted someone, who built the weapons then you would only go to the one and only Leo Valdez who was from Spain. He's a bit silly in nature but he's dexterous with his fingers and able to fix anything on _The Argo. _

Working in joint with him was another person from England, William "Will" Solace who worked as a doctor. He has a brilliant affinity for playing any instrument imaginable and even brought over a violin to play (he was going to bring a grand piano on, but it wouldn't fit).

With these people as part of the ship, there was no way that Percy could fail in his quest. He left alone with money in his hands, buying the supplies. He trusted the others to keep watch and hopefully won't do anything stupid. They all looked like well-mannered people who will get along with just about anyone.

Oh how wrong Percy was.

An explosion rocked the boat and Leo came out from below deck with black marks over his body. The Spaniard had a maniacal grin and did not seem the least bit perturbed that he could've died. Following him was Chris, wearing the same expression that Leo had.

"That was fantastic!" Leo said. His curly black hair was stuck in all sorts of directions. "I didn't turn out the way I wanted to, but it certainly was better the last time I tested it."

Chris nodded in agreement. "_Oui_, the last time we tried we nearly blew the stern off. At least this test we didn't damage anything too important. I'm excited to try it out when you are finished."

"_Excusez-moi?" _Peter shrieked. His tanned face was turning a bright red. "You could've have us all killed, you idiot."

Leo waved him off. "Relax Peter. Nothing is going to happen when I'm around. I fixed the stern did I not?"

Peter was about to say something (probably not what a gentleman would say) when Jason cut her off. "Now, now," he chided, blonde hair blowing in the wind. "Fighting is never the answer. Let us settle this in a peaceful way. Captain Jackson won't be amused if he finds another hole in the ship."

"He's right," chimed in Will Solace. "And I really don't want to bandage another wound - seriously guys, we're running out. If we keep this up, I'm afraid you guys will have to bear with the infection that will be coming and -"

Will was interrupted by a sudden scream as Peter was knocked into him, with a newly formed black eye.

Chris spat spit out and cracked his knuckles. "Hmp, _se taire _Monsieur Martin. Honestly, you talk too much. You need to learn how to stop talking."

Peter was absolutely fuming, he clenched his fists as if he was about to land a blow. But then suddenly, he took in a deep breath and merely glared at Chris. Slowly, he went below deck where the slamming of a door could be heard.

"_Fantastico_," Leo said sarcastically. "_Él está enojado. _Do you think we should go down there?_"_

"I think Mr Martin needs to have some alone time. If we go down there all at once, he could burst out at us," stated Jason.

"He's is right. Sometimes being alone helps cool off the heat of anger," said Will. "At least no one got seriously hurt this time. Perhaps an apology will do." He looked at Chris La Rue.

The Frenchman scowled. "I am not apologizing to that prick. It was his fault in the first place."

Jason clenched his jaw. He was getting sick and tired of these people acting like children. "It doesn't matter, now go down there and say sorry, or if you want to, say it in French. I don't care. Do _something." _

"Oh, alright," Chris sighed. "If it will make you guys happy, then I will."

The moment Chris went below deck, Percy showed up looking incredibly exhausted. His cheeks were red and his posture was slouched. But behind him was a fair amount of supplies. "Ah, I should've asked one of you to come with me. Those English merchants are vicious and it doesn't help that my English is not all that great. Now will you guys come and help me with these things?"

The crew stopped what they were doing and froze in place.

Percy had an annoyed expression, already done with the day. "Well, don't just stand there with your mouths wide open. Help me before your payment will be docked by a month!"

At that statement, the crew sprang into action not wanting their pay to be lessened. If there is one thing they could all agree on, it's that they all need the money and such an action will make a major impact on their lives.

"Are we going to tell him what happened while he was gone?" asked Leo to Jason. He was straining as he tried to carry (more like drag) a box of what felt like bricks.

Jason wiped the sweat off his brow, also carrying a box. "I don't think we need to. It seems trivial compared to other things. Maybe later, after this whole matter has cleared up."

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><p><strong>Not much Percy here. This is just to introduce the characters.<strong>

**[Edited December 30, 2014. Lame ending is lame, I know. There are two major things that I can't write: endings and realistic dialogue.]**


	3. Runaways

_What do you mean by I'm engaged?_

_No need to sound so frightened my dear. He's one of the richest men in all of Paris. I'm sure you'll like him since you'll no longer worry about your life. _

_He's a scoundrel mother! He only cares about himself, and his manners are awful. Have you seen how he treats the poor and the needy? It's despicable. _

_There is no need to spread lies about him. From what I see, he's a gentleman with impeccable manners. You will marry him in two months' time…_

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><p>Peter slammed the door to his room in frustration, suppressing tears from his eyes. He traveled so far from his home to go on an adventure only to be taken down like… this.<p>

Sighing, he went through his possessions hoping that he will find something to comfort him. There were several pictures of him of his former life; decked in a dress, his hair was long, and was desired by all the men in all of Paris.

This was Piper McLean, daughter of one the most famous actress of all of France. She lived a glamorous life of parties and riches. She had everything that she wanted at her fingertips and more. She was the apple of every young man's eye, so why would she cut off her long, brown hair for a life of hard work and labor?

Because, the life of a sailor offered something more valuable than all her life put together – freedom. Piper felt restrained in those voluminous dresses with tight bodices, and even tighter shoes. She was rarely let out of the estate due to her mother's paranoia.

Indeed, the life of a sailor looked like the life for Piper McLean. Open air, open sea, and a lifetime of adventure. But now, she wasn't so sure. Being "Peter Martin" took a lot of work: maintaining a deep voice, acting like a guy (or a somewhat like one), covering her lady parts, the works.

That, and there was the fear of being discovered.

The McLean family is one of the wealthiest families. Though her mother and she did not always see eye to eye on certain matters, they cared about each other. Piper knew that her mother would search far and wide for her daughter. Knowing her, missing posters would be crossing into other countries and there would be a generous reward for anyone that could find her.

Piper hoped that Percy wouldn't recognize her face. Then again, he seemed to be a rather dense person who couldn't see the obvious. She learned that when they were in Russia, where a group of girls flirted with him but Percy himself never seemed to notice.

Ahem, anyway…

France was just a hop and a skip away across the channel. She could go back to her former life and forget this has ever happened. She had a feeling that everyone hated her. Coming on to _The Argo _was much harder than she thought it would be. Piper brought nothing; she was one of the few who had no experience in sailing whatsoever. She taught herself the basics quickly by giving herself a crash course but it did her little good.

Piper was deciding what exactly she should do when the door suddenly slammed open. There was Chris La Rue, brown hair wild and muscles bulging.

Piper instinctively jumped back in fear. She quickly hid the photograph in her bag. Was he here to hurt her again? Surely she couldn't have made him that angry!

On the contrary, Chris did nothing of the sort. Instead, he just sighed and sat next to her. "Look," he said in French. "I didn't mean to hurt you Mr. Martin I have a little bit of a…anger issue."

"I figured that you would," Piper mumbled under her breath.

Chris narrowed his eyes. "What was that shorty?"

"Nothing," Piper squeaked. She cleared her throat, making sure to deepen her voice. "Anyway, I accept your apology. I'm glad that you recognize you fault and reconciled with me."

"Yeah, yeah. Just make sure you go to that doctor to get some ice for that black eye." Chris dismissively said. A sudden crash and a few curses rang out from above. "I reckon that we should head to the surface, eh? I think the captain has arrived with the provisions."

Piper smiled. "And we shall."

…

It did not take long to move the supplies down below when Chris got there. He was one of the strongest men, in terms of physical ability, on _The Argo. _He didn't even break a sweat when he was carrying two barrels of beer at the same time.

Once they were finished, it was already dark. They decided to stay at an inn for the night and in the morning; they would leave for the Mediterranean.

Jason was absolutely ecstatic about this since his family lived in London. In fact, instead of staying with the others, he went back to his flat where his sister awaited him even if it was only for one night.

Percy didn't object to Jason's decision. He encouraged it. After a couple months at sea, even the hardiest sailor can become a little homesick and he sent him off. Though, Jason said that he will come back when the sun rises

Back at the inn, it seemed that the entire place was in chaos. The hotel was busy enough already, with the bar on the first floor being the most busy. Indeed, the room was full of boisterous and drunken laughter as people ordered round after round of alcohol.

It was a low class affair, but it was the best they could do. Besides, it was certainly a fun place to be.

Leo Valdez was off in his own world, constructing what looked like a plane out of napkins and cutlery. Chris La Rue was arm-wrestling with men who looked like they can snap a person's head off, and Will Solace was busy tending to Peter's eye.

As for Percy, he was outside where it was less stuffy and hot.

England was different from what he imagined. He never thought he would travel to the center of the most powerful empire in the world. The bustling city life was intimidating when he got here. Sure Copenhagen was Denmark's largest city, but London was bigger.

The cool night air calmed him down a bit. It has been a tiring day, but Percy didn't feel the least bit tired. He walked towards the empty docks and looked out towards the sea. He couldn't help think if Annabeth was around here, waiting for him to find her.

It has been two years since Percy last saw her and he can still hear her voice and her appearance. Her stormy grey eyes were what fascinated Percy the most. They were like the sea, always changing, always grey. They were the part that he remembers most, well, beside her biting wit.

Taking one last glance of the sea, he went back to the inn where he would get a good night's rest for the day ahead.

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><p><strong>After much deliberation, I have decided that it was best to revise this story. Don't ask me why, I just felt that the plot needed some fixing up. But I guess the events that will happen did not make much sense and I wanted to change them. <strong>

**I have already made the alterations to the plot. I have revised both Chapter 1 and 2 so look over those again if you want to. As for Chapter 4 and beyond, well, knowing me I probably won't upload them for a quite a bit of time. The chapters will be short, 2,500 words maximum. Yes, I'm sorry if you do not like short chapters but I do not intend this to be a long story. I simply do not have the time to write 2,000 + worded chapters so I try to make theses ones concise and quality which will hopefully make up the lack of length. **


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